This invention is concerned with a connector for wellhead components such as wellhead housings, blowout preventer components and other similar assemblies which are mounted in abutted axial alignment in making up a complete wellhead structure.
In order to assemble a wellhead system for an oil or gas well it is necessary to be able to couple together in abutted vertical axial alignment tubular components that vary from well to well, depending upon the status of the well, that is, whether it is being drilled, completed or in the production phase. The stacked components typically include tees and blowout preventers as well as drill-through and completion components. In the drilling and completion of oil and gas wells it is frequently necessary to change the components making up the wellhead system and since they can be relatively large and heavy and must be constructed to sustain substantial internal pressure as well as bear the weight of tubing or casing suspended from the wellhead, they must be very securely attached to each other in a physically secure and leak proof manner. In addition, an important requirement is that the components be expeditiously installed or removed. That is, in the process of drilling, completing or working over an oil or gas well, it is important that the vertically stacked wellhead components be expeditiously interchanged since maintaining a drilling rig and crew at a well site is expensive. Minutes saved can add up to a significant amount during the process of drilling and completing a well. For this reason others in the past have provided systems for interconnecting wellhead components that are intended to decrease the time required for making changes and, at the same time, to provide for safety and leak proof connections.
For background information relating to systems for connecting wellhead components reference may be had to the following previously issued United States patents, including the patents cited as references in these issued patents:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. INVENTOR TITLE ______________________________________ 1,989,679 Broussard Multiple Clamp Casing Head Control 2,542,302 Barker Wellhead Construction 2,610,689 Eckel Wellhead Seal 3,155,401 Musolf Well Head Assembly 3,297,344 Hanes Connectors For Well Parts 3,455,578 Hanes Fluid Pressure Releasable Automatic Tool Joint 3,844,127 Koop Jr. et al Floating Drilling Platform With Quick Disconnect Legs 4,606,557 Coffey Subsea Wellhead Connector 5,149,143 Howell Connector Assembly With Detachable Sleeve 5,158,326 Anderson et al Casing Head Connector ______________________________________